Loom



March 23, 1954 G. ROBINSON LOOM 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1952ATTORNEYS March 23, 1954 G. ROBINSON LOOM Filed Jan. 5, 1952 10Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR. qraydon Robinson M M, QM?

ATTORN Y6 March 23, 1954 os so 2,672,894

LOOM

Filed Jan. 5, 1952 10 Sheets-Sheet 3 TII'IIIIII- II IIIIIIIIIIII [I IIIIIlIlll M g g INVENTOR. qrayaan Rabi/75011 ATTORIv IE s March 23, 1954cs. ROBINSON LOOM F'iied Jan. 5, 1952 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENYTOR.qraydon flab/man BY MM,M+&M

ATTORNEYS March 23, 1954 ROBINSON 2,672,894

' LOQM Filed Jan. 5, 1952 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. qrdy donRab/r7801? MM, M

ATTORNE 5 March 23, 1954 ROBlNSON 2,672,894

LOOM Filed Jan. 5, 1952 losheets-sheet 6 INVENTOR. qraydon Rab/n50 BYWan, M Q? ATTORNEY March 23, 1954 G. ROBINSON LOOM 1O Sheets-Sheet 8Filed Jan. 5, 1952 Pm W F x) maemm mm m riw m m z M r. m .m wtQ wT' fl md d d .n .9? M v. x mmmm. Me M5 n 4 A p m Wm/mg M o m m .w m w Awkwfiggkmm INVENTOR. qrayaonffobinson ATTORNEYS;

March 23, 1954 omso 2,672,894

LOOM

Filed Jan. 5, 1952 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 l2. (Canfinuaf/bn of Hg. ll.

I i r Seer/0n a. Jed/00.5.

lllllllll INVEN TOR. qr'aydon Robinson m mar-1w AT TORNE Y March 23,1954 ROBlNSON 2,672,894

LOOM' Filed Jan. 5, 1952 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 INVENTOR. Graydan RobinsonBY A T TORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOOM'Graydon Robinson, Lebanon, Tenn., assignor to Lebanon Woolen Mills,Lebanon, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee "Application January 5, 1952,Serial No. 265,089

10 Claims.

This invention relates to looms, and more particularly to head motionsand similar mechanisms used in looms to produce special weaves whichcannot be practically made in an automatic manner in looms of previouslyknown construction.

The present invention has for its primary object to produceautomatically, and by simple, efficient and inexpensive harness controlmechanism, patterns which will not be completely repetitive for a numberof picks far beyond the capacity of conventional looms.

It is a further object to achieve the foregoing results throughmodification of standard Crompton and Knowles loom, effected by theremoval of some parts, simple alteration of some of the parts retained,and the addition of other parts which are of standard construction.

More specifically, the invention resides in the addition to the usualharness and harness control mechanism for the warp threads which followa simple pattern of a novel harness control involving interactingmultiplying and reversing chains for special warp thread harnesses whichare required by the pattern to be governed by a more complex andextended law of variation.

It is a further object to provide a common control for the shuttle boxesand the special harness chains.

It is a particular feature of the invention that the standard loom canbe modified in a simple and expeditious manner to embody the presentimprovement and can be restored to standard construction with equalfacility.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing forming part of this specification:

Figure 1. is a sectional view in front elevation showing a typicalspecial harness and a portion of the control mechanism therefor;

Figure 2-is a plan view of the improved control mechanism which isapplied to the shuttle box and the binding harnesses;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in sectional side elevation showingparticularly a novel head attachment applied to the machine, in whichmost of the novel control mechanism is included;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional front'view taken upon the line 4-4of Figure 2, looking i the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line 5-5 ofFigure 2,.looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken 2 upon the line 6-6 ofFigure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line l-l ofFigure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken upon the line 8-8 ofFigure 10, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view showingcertain weaving details of an electric blanket shell, which shell isshown by way of illustration as one available product of the novelmechanism;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1 and showing theunmodified or regular harness control mechanism employed in connectionwith a portion of the warp threads;

Figure 10 is a plan view of the illustrative electric blanket, completeexcept for binding of the head and foot;

Figures 11 and 12 are complementary figures which, when ararnged end toend illustrate in chart form the composition and set-up of all thechains employed for control purposes, including the regular harnesschain, the binder harness chain and the shuttle box and control chain,and the reversing chain; and

Figure 13 is a view in side elevation of the home side shuttle box andcontrol mechanism immediately associated therewith.

In order that the description of the mechanism may be more easilyfollowed and understood, there is disclosed herein an electric blanketshell I00 which is representative of the kind of work done by the loomembodying the present invention. This blanket shell will first be'described, since an'understanding of the requirements will indicate thenature of the problem involved and will facilitate an understanding ofthe measures taken for the solution of the problem.

The blanket shell lllll is shown generally in Figure 10. Details of theblanket shell are shown on a larger scale in Figure 8. The blanket shellwill be referred to in extreme detail in some instances in order thatthe illustration may be entirely clear. Such detailed reference is to beunderstood as intended merely for clarification of the illustration, andnot as restricting the scope of the invention.

The blanket shell Hill is woven in tubular form with the upper and lowerlayers ill! and l 83 completely free from one another between the sideedges atthe head and foot, but bound together by certain of the warpthreads designated 5, 6 and l, din other sections of the-length, so thatlongitudinal channels .or ducts are defined be- "J tween bindings forreceiving electrical heating resistors Hi2 and HM.

Three shuttles are employed in weaving the illustrative blanket, onecontaining filler thread of a distinctive color which is used for justtwo picks in each blanket to mark an end thereof, and the otherscontaining threads similar to one another which will be referred to aswhite threads. The loom includes three shuttle boxes at one side and oneat the other. The first side is regarded as the home side, where theshuttles rest, and the picks will be referred to as outward and returnpicks from that point of view.

The blanket weaving progresses uninterruptedly from blanket to blanket.For illustrative purposes the first pick is assumed to be a whitethread, upper layer return pick. The colored thread shuttle nextexecutes an upper layer, out,- ward pick and a lower layer, return pick.One of the white thread shuttles next executes a lower layer, outwardpick and an upper layer, return pick. The other white thread shuttlethen executes an upper layer, outward pick and a lower layer, returnpick. Continuing, the white thread shuttles act in alternation. One ofthem goes out through the upper layer at its first pick and returnsthrough the lower layer at its second pick. The other white threadshuttle then goes out through the lower layer at its first pick andreturns through the upper layer at its second pick. As a result, one ofthe white filler threads describes a continuous right hand flattenedspiral, while the other describes a continuous left hand flattenedspiral. The white filler threads cross one another as they pass fromlayer to layer at the home side of the loom, connecting the layers toone another at that side. I

The first section consists of only six picks and is too narrow to bedistinguished from the upper boundary line in Figure 10. Section I ofthe blanket is distinguished from section 2 by the fact that it includesthe two colored picks. Section 2 comprises 34 picks. Throughout sectionsone and two each warp thread is controlled in a uniform manner. Eachwarp thread is confined to one of the layers and is caused throughharness control to extend alternately over and under successiveindividual filler threads of that layer, At four successive picks thefiller thread passes under only alternate upper layer warp threads, overonly alternate lower layer warp threads, over only the other alternatelower layer warp threads, and under only the other alternate upper layerwarp threads. The four picks just described would correspond, forexample, to picks '2 to 5, 6 to 9, etc.

Up to the end of the second section the warp threads which are involvedin the regular weave throughout the length of the blanket and the warpthreads which do the binding in certain sections are all caused tofollow the regular weave pattern. With the beginning of section 3 adifference condition arises. It is important at this point, therefore,to differentiate between the regular weave warp threads and the bindingwarp threads.

The warp thread content of the upper layer consists principally ofregular weave warp threads I and 2, controlled in the loom by harnessesl and 2, respectively, while the warp thread content of the lower layerconsists principally of warp threads 3 and A controlled in the loom byharnesses 3 and 4. The harnesses for these threads follow a four steprepetitive pattern "throughout, and their control presents no problem.They are desirably controlled by a short harness chain which runs alwaysin the same direction and which contains a number of bars which is aconvenient multiple of four. They impose only one requirement, that thetotal number of picks in the entire pattern (one blanket length) shallbe a multiple of four.

The regular weave warp threads are arranged repetitively in I, 2, 3-, 4order from side to side of the loom, with the exceptions which will nowbe noted. In certain binding zones a thread 5, controlled by binderharness number 5, occupies the space which, in the normal sequence,would be occupied by a thread 2, and a thread 5, controlled by binderharness number 6, occupies the space which, in the normal sequence,would be occupied by a thread 3. In other binding zones a thread 1,controlled by binder harness number 1, occupies the space which, in thenormal sequence, would be occupied by a thread 2, and a thread 8,controlled by binder harness number 8, occupies the space which, in thenormal sequence, would be occupied by a thread 3. Thus, in sections I.and 2 where no binding is done, the pattern control for the number 5and l harnesses must be the same as for the regular number 2 harness andthe pattern control for the number 6 and 8 harnesses must be the same asfor the regular number 3 harness.

In section 3 binder harnesses '5 and *8 are made to follow a differentrule or pattern of control so that threads 5 and 6 will be caused tobind the layers to one another. Binder harnesses l and 8, however, causethe threads 1 and .8 to continue like '2 and 3, according to the regularweave pattern. Section 3 includes picks.

In section 6 harnesses I and. '8, as well as 5 and 6, cause binding tobe effected. This section comprises 2,408 picks. It is in this sectionthat the heating resistors are almost completely contained when theblanket is finished.

In section 5 the harnesses 5 and 6 resume the regular weave pattern, butthe harnesses l and 8 continue to cause binding to be effected by thethreads 5 and '8. Thus, the binding seams formed by threads '5 and 6begin earlier than the binding seams formed by threads I and 8, andterminate earlier. Section 5 comprises 184 picks,

In section 6 all the harnesses cause regular weaving to be effected, thebinder harness control being similar to that of sections I and 2.Section 6 comprises 304 picks. 'This section is designed to be tucked inat the foot of the bed.

When the shell has been woven and cut into blanket lengths, each blanketmu may be completed by the insertion of electric heating re sistors I112and H74 and by applying the usual binding. The resistor I02 is insertedfrom the foot into one of the two central channels or ducts and is leadback and forth through one duct after another until it is finallybrought back to the foot through one of the larger ducts at the left.The resistor 104 is similarly inserted in the right hand side of theblanket. The terminal end of each resistor :is attached to the enteringend of the other, and the entering ends are connected to oppositeterminals of a plug Hi6 through a temperature control device (notshown).

The blanket is then completed by applying the usual binding (not shown)at the head and foot of the blanket. Several of the channels along theright and left margins of the blanket shell are left empty. Noheating'is required in these margins because they simply hang down at oppositesides of the bed. The binding provided in these side margins helps tokeep the side margins of the layers in good order with respect to oneanother.

The entire illustrative blanket includes 3,056 picks. The bindingharnesses and the shuttle boxes are required to pursue a control patternwhich is not completed and ready for repetition in its entirety until3,056 picks have been exeouted. Answering this andsimilar requirementsby'simple, efiicient and inexpensive means, is the purpose of thepresent invention. This has been achieved by devising simple mechanismthrough which the'binder harness and box chains are caused in unison totravel back and forth repeatedly as the weaving is executed in sections2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the blanket.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a drop box loom having aKnowles head for operating the regular harness; i. e., the fourharnesses for controlling the regular weave through which warp threads Ito 4 are raised and lowcred. The loom includes front and rear framemembers I 08 and H unon which an auxiliary frame I I 2 is supported(Fig. 3). The auxiliary frame comprises front and rear frame members II4 and I I5 which are supported respectively upon the main frame membersI08 and H0. The frame H2 also includes cross connectors H3, I20 and I22,of which II 8 and I 20 are stationary shafts (Fig. 2). The auxiliaryframe II2 carries the novel control mechanism of the present invention.

causes this gear to be raised or lowered in preparation for each pick.This control is exercised for each harness through a run I34 on thevibrator lever I30.

The chain runs on a gear I36 which is driven intermittently to bring afresh bar under the run I34 between each two consecutive picks. As iswell understood, raising of the lever I30 by a roll causes gear I28 tobe lifted into mesh with the gear I24 as shown in Figure 9, and then tobe driven to its counter-clockwise limit of movement by the gear I24.The gear I28 is thus caused to act through a connector I33 to rock ajack I40 counterclockwise about a jack pin I42. The jack I40.acts-through the usual connecting mechanism, including straps I44 andI46, to control an associated harness. vWhen the vibrator gear is turnedcounter-clockwise as described, the harness is raised. When a sinkercomes under the run I34, the vibrator lever I30 drops down and placesthe vibrator gear I28 in mesh with the gear I26. This causes the gearI28 to be turned to its clockwise limit, and this in turn causestheassociated harness to be lowered. Thus, a roll causes the harness to beraised and a sinker causes the harness to be lowered.

Ordinarily there is just one control chain for the harnesses, therebeing a column of rolls and sinkersfor .each harness employed. Since allthese rolls and sinkers are carried upon a single chain, the harnessesare necessarily controlled Between these cylinder step by step'in'harmony with one another. The" single chain is advanced one barbetween each two successive picks. The harness chain may be varied toproduce different weaves and can be made long enough to repeat a patternof moderate length. Harnesses I, 2, 3', 4 of the present machine, whenused for the illustrative purposes, are controlled from a single harnesschain as described.

In Figure 1 disclosure is made of a typical binding harness, say 5, andthe operating mechanism therefor. The operating mechanism is similar tothe mechanism of Figure 9 and operates in' a similar manner. It includesa vibrator lever IH, a vibrator gear I28H cooperative with the cylindergears I24 and I26, a connector link I3BH,- a jack I40H pivoted on a jackpin I42, and connector straps I44H and I46H. All of these parts arestandard parts of the Crompton and Knowles loom and are duplicates ofthe corresponding part of Figure 9, with the exception of vibrator leverThe vibrator lever I30H is similar in location and mounting, and infunction, to the vibrator lever I30. It is pivoted on the same heel pinI48 as the vibrator lever I30. It is not, however, intended to bedirectly chain-actuated from underneath. It does not, therefore,necessarily have any run provided upon it and it is pivotally connectedto an actuating link I50 through which it is controlled from overhead.The link I50 extends upward from the lever I30H and is pivotallyconnected at its upper end to an operating lever I52. The lever I52 isone of several similar levers which are pivotally supported on thestationary shaft I I8 'of the auxiliary or upper frame H2, there beingone of these levers for each binder harness gear.

' Each lever I52 is equipped with a run I54 for cooperating witha columnof rolls and sinkers of a binder harness chain I50 which is of usualconstruction. The chain I56 cooperates with the runs I54 in the usualway, but it runs upon a gear I58, rotatively mounted on the shaft I20,which is arranged to be driven step by step in opposite directions bythe novel control mechanism of the present invention. I

Thenovel control mechanism comprises two continuously rotating driveshafts I60 and I62 (Fig. 4). The drive shaft IE0 is connected through atrain of gears I64, I66 and I68 to a driving gear I10 which is driven intimed relation to the'cylinder gears of the Crompton and Knowles head.The drive shaft I62 is driven through a gear I12 Which'meshes directlywith the gear I68 previously referred to. With these connections theshafts I50 and IE2 are caused to be continuously rotated at equal speedbut in opposite directions. Each makes one complete turn for every twopicks.

A two toothed driver or pin gear I14 is slidable on the shaft I52 but iskeyed or otherwise secured to the shaft, so as to be continuouslyrotated by the shaft. The hub of the pin gear I14 is grooved to receivea yoke arm' Ht on a collar I18, the

collar being slidableon a fixed stud I80. A two toothed pin gear I82 issimilarly slidable on the I96 to-a .lever lslwhic-h is pivoted on thecross shaft 1.1 8.

A reversing chain It is trained upon a gear 2M, the gear beingrotatively supported on the stationary shaft 429. The chain is equippedwith rolls and sinkers for controlling the raising and lowering of thelever as required. As the lever 1-98 is raised and lowered under thecontrol of the reversing chain R, the lever I90 (see Fig. 1-) is rockedabout pivot 192, to cause shifting forks l-lfiand 18-6 to move the pingears 114 and 182, longitudinally of their shafts, alternatively intoposition to engage and drive a star wheel 202 which is fast upon a shaft204 (see .Fig. 4). Consequent-1y, the shaft 204 is operated one step forevery pick, but the direction of rotation is controlled by the reversingchain R. A spring 206 normally maintains the parts in the positionsillustrated in Figures 2 and '7, with the pin wheel I" in position toengage the star wheel .202.

The shafts tell and I52 are timed, as previously noted, to make onerevolution for each two complete pick cycles of the .loom. The Genevadesign is such that the active pi-n wheel acts through :one quarter turnto drive the star wheel one step, locks the star wheel stationary duringthe second quarter turn, again "drives the star wheel forward-during thethird quarter turn, and again locks the star wheel stationary in thefinal quarter turn. Thus, the star wheel is turned and locked duringalternate half pick cycles, the direction of turning depending uponwhich :of the two pin wheels is active. The direction "of the drive canbe changed after any driving step.

The shaft 234 has fast upon it a pin wheel 2-96 :having pins throughwhich .a six notched star wheel 298 is driven. The star wheel .208 isrota-tively mounted upon the shaft I29. The star wheel is turned onestep for :each step of the shaft 294. It turns while the shaft 234 isturning and rests while the shaft is resting, the intervals of turningand of resting being equal in duration. The star wheel 208 is fast upona hollow shaft 210, Figs. -2 and '6, which shaft is rotatively mountedupon the stationary shaft lit. The hollow shaft 2H] forms a hub for achain driving gear 2-12, by which a control and box chain having threecolumns H3, 214 :and 21-6 of rolls and sin-kers (Fig. 3) is driven. Forthe making .of electric blanket shells the column a is consists only ofsinkers, and :is without function. It is made available for otherpurposes. The rolls and :sinkers of columns 2-13, 21 4 and 2| fiareprovided to cooperate with runs on levers 21-8., 122 and 2 22,respectively, which .levers are like the levers F52 and are similarlypivoted on the stationary shaft 1 l8. The lever 222 remains idle andperforms :no function in the making of electric blankets.

The levers 22-0 [and 2-22 .are provided for controllin shuttle boxmechanism (not shown). A suitable .form of shuttle box :controlmechanism, and the operation thereof, is shown and described in AmericanWool Handbook, 2nd edition, of Textile Book Publishers,.l2nc., :NewYork, at pages 671-3. To this statement there :is one exception whichwill -be pointed out at a subsequent point. Thepurpose and effect-of thelever -2 it will be explained presently.

The gear I58 by which the binder harness chad-11156 is-driven includesahollow hub or sleeve portion 224 which is :rotatably mounted on thestationary shaft 211210. The .hubs 2m :and1224 are cutawayas shown alongdiametrically and transversely extending planes, to provide rectangular,inter-fitting projections and notches at the end of the hubs. Theseveral gears on the shaft are held together against relative axialmove-- ment between collars 22 6, which collars are secured in fixedpositions on the stationary shaft I29 by any suitable means such as setscrews 2-28. The interfitted notches and projections compel the gear I53to turn in unison with the gear 2 l2. The chains for controlling thebinder harness, the shuttle box and the lever 218 -are, therefore, allreversible and are all driven in unison, the direction of drivedepending upon the direction of drive of the star wheel .202 and theshaft 264 upon which the star wheel is made fast.

The lever 218 is connected through a link 229 (:Fig. 7) with one arm ofa bell-crank lever 230. The lever 230 is pivoted at 28-! upon astationary bracket 234. The opposite arm of the lever .230 extendsupward and bears against the left hand side of a collar 23% which isaffixed to the left end of a slide rod 23-3. The rod 238 is slidinglymounted in the bracket 234 and in a further stationary bracket 24!]. Therod is urged toward the left by a compression coil spring 2-4-2, whichsurrounds the rod and bears at its opposite ends against the left handside of the bracket 248 and against the right hand side of a collar 2Mfixed on the slide rod. The 'rod has fixed on its right hand end ashifting fork 2-48.

The fork 2% enters a circumferential groove which is formed in the hubof a pin wheel 248. The pin wheel 243, which has two pins, is slidablealong, but keyed to, the constantly rotating shaft Hill. The Wheel 2-48is provided .for at times driving a star wheel 25% step by step. Sincethe shaft its runs always in the same direction, the star wheel 25!) isnever reversed but turns the same direction Whenever it turns at all.

In Figures 2 and 3, a sinker is under the run of the lever H8. The lever21-8 is down, therefore, and the rod 238 is thrust leftward by thespring 242 and holds the pin wheel 2-4-8 in a disengaged position sothat the star Wheel 2-50 is idle. When a roll is under the lever 2 It,the lever is raised and, through link 2-2-9 and bell-crank 230, forcesthe rod 238 to the right to engage the pin wheel 2-43 drivingly with thestair wheel 250, as in Fig. -5. The design of the pin wheel 2'48 and thestar wheel 2501s the "same :as that of the pin wheel H4 or 82 and thestar wheel 202. Hence the pin wheel 2%, when in driving position, drivesthe star wheel forward during a first quarter turn, causes the starwheel to stand idle during a second quarter turn, drives the star wheelforward during a third quarter turn, and causes the star wheel to standidle during the fourth quarter turn. This sequence corresponds to twocomplete pick cycles 'of the loom. The angular disposition "of the pinwheel 248 :on the shaft IE0 is so chosen that the star wheel 2250, whenactive, always turns while the star wheel 2.02 is at rest and is alwaysat rest while the star wheel 2% is turning. 'In iOtll'Bl words, the starWheels 202 and 259) can be turned only in alternate half pick cycles.

The star wheel 250 is fast w-ith'the hub 2-52 of the gear 26!! throughwhich the reversing chain R is driven and constitutes the driver forsaid chain. As previously pointed out, the lever 'l-98 is under the'control of the reversing chain, being down when 'a sinker of thereversing chain is in the effective position and up when a roll of thereversing chain is the effective position. When umn which carries aroll.

effective to drive the star wheel 202, and this causes the chain gear M2to be driven in a forward direction. When the lever I98 is up, the pinwheel N32 is effective to drive the star wheel 202 and this causes thechain gear M2 to be driven backward.

Since the gears H2 and I36 run in unison, the chains driven by themnecessarily run in unison. One of these chains includes the column ofrolls and sinkers by which the lever 218 is controlled to cause thereversing chain R to be advanced or to be held idle. The reversing chainin turn determines whether the gears 212 and I38 shall be turned inforward or backward direction.

The gears 212 and 136 move a step in one direction or the other duringthe first half of every pick cycle. The gear 200, if it moves at all,moves forward a step in the second half of a pick cycle. Thus, duringthe first half of a pick cycle, the harness will be set for the ensuingpick. At the same time the connections are established for determiningwhether the reversing chain R will advance or remain idle. During thesecond half of the pick cycle, the shuttle is actuated and the reversingchain is either advanced a step or held at rest according to whether aroll or a sinker is effective under the lever 2I8. What condition isestablished by the operation or nonoperation'of -the reversing chainduring the second half of a pick cycle determines the direction in whichthe binder harness chain and the shuttle box and control chain will runduring the next ensuing pick cycle.

The operation will be made clear from an examination of the chain chartof complementary Figures 11 and 12. At the first pick a sinker iseffective in the control column which acts on lever H8 and a sinker ofthe reversing chain is effective. The control chain sinker means thatthe reversing chain will not be advanced. The sinker on the reversingchain will therefore remain in place. This means thatthe next step ofthe control chain will be in a forward direction to bring up bar two ofthe control chain. Since the control column contains nothing but sinkersfor the first five bars, the reversing chain will not be advanced untilthe control for th sixth pick has been established. Since it is a sinkeron the reversing chain which is being held'in place, the operation ofthe control chain will be forward at every one of these steps.

The sixth bar of the control column brings up a roll, so that thereversing chain is now advanced a step to bring up bar two. Bar two ofthe reversing chain carries another sinker and therefore causes thecontrol chain to move forward into its second section which begins with.the seventh bar. The seventh bar of the control column carries asinker, and hence the second bar of the reversing chain remains effectivto cause the control chain to continue forward. This brings up theeighth bar of the control col- The roll causes the third bar of thereversing chain, which carries a roll, to become effective. At'the ninthpick the control chain therefor moves backward to make its seventh baragain effective. Since bar seven of the control column carries a sinker,the reversing chain is not advanced and the roll on bar three of thereversing chain remains in place,

causing th control chain to move backward another step, to again makebar six of'the control column effective. The roll on bar six of thecontrol column causes the reversing chain to be 10 advanced to its barfour which carries a sinker, so that the control chain again movesforward to bring up bar seven.

There are two bars in the second section of the control column andseventeen bars in the second section of the reversing chain. Thearrangement shown causes the bar sequence of the control chain to runl-t, 'l-t, iii, l-B, until the forward sequence pair has been runthrough nine times and the reverse sequence pair has been run througheight times. It will be observed that each control column section hassinkers throughout except upon its last bar which carries a roll. Thus,the reversing chain is not advanced after a section has been entereduntil the last bar of the control chain section becomes effective. Onthe reversing chain, the bars throughout a section contain sinkers androlls in alternation, each section including an odd number of bars andeach one beginning and ending with a sinker. When the second section ofthe control chain has been run forward two steps for each sinker of thesecond section of the reversing chain and has been run backward twosteps for each roll of the second section of the reversing chain (makingthirty-four picks altogether), the next advance step of the reversingchain brings up the first bar of the third section of the reversingchain. Since this bar carries a sinker, the control chain continuesforward through the next section of its control column until the last ofthe eight bars of that section comes up. The same principle dethree.

scribed for section two now holds for section There are eight stepsforward and eight steps back until the third section of the controlchain has been traversed fifteen times making picks altogether.

Similarly, the fifty six bars of section four of the control chain aretraversed forty three times in response to the action of the reversingchain to take care of 2408 picks; the eight bars of the fifth section ofthe control chain are traversed twenty three times to take care of 184picks, and finally the sixteen bars of the sixth section of the controlchain are traversed nineteen times to take care of the final 304 picks.When the sixth section has been completed, the chains feed forward intotheir first sections to start the cycle over again. All the while, theregular harness chains have been advancing a step for each pick,regularly repeating the four-pick cycle which they are set up to follow.This is continued on into the second and subsequent blankets in harmonywith the operation of the other mechanism.

It will be remembered that binder harness threads 5 and I take the placeof regular harness threads 2 and that binder harness threads 6 and 8take the place of regular harness threads 3. In sections I, 2 and 6,therefore, it is essential to the maintenance of the established patternthat the 5 and 1 harnesses act in unison with the number 2 regularharness and that the 6 and 8 harnesses act in unison with the number 3regular harness. This also means that in sections I, 2 and 6, harnesses5 and I must act in unison with one another and harness 6 and 8 must actIt is also important that the binder harnesses 5 and .1 act in unisonwith one another and that the binder harnesses 6 and 8 act in unisonscreen with one another throughout section four where the threadscontrolled by these harnesses are used for binding. That thisrelationship is maintained can be readily established by inspection ofthe binder harness chart of Figures 11 and 12. In the third sectionwhere threads and 6 are binding, the threads I and 8 are not, and in thefifth section where threads I and 8 are binding, the threads 5 and 6 arenot, the control of the thread 5 differs from that of thread I, and thecontrol of thread 6 differs from that of thread 8.

The typical weaving and binding actions are illustrated in detail inFigure 8. Here threads I and ii, 6 and 4, are shown respectively as usedin the regular weave at the beginning of the blanket and the bindingperformed by threads 5 and B is illustrated as section three is entered.The regular weave performed by threads I and 5, ii and l, is the same asthat performed by threads I and 2, 3 and 4, or by threads I and I, 8 and4, while the binding performed by threads 5 and 6 in Sections three andfour is the same as that performed by threads I and 8 in sections fourand five.

It should be noted that each control chain section includes an evennumber of bars while each section of the reversing chain contains an oddnumber of bars, It will be further observed that the sequence of harnesssettings from the last bar of one section to the last bar of the next isthe same forward and backward.

it has been stated with a reservation that the shuttle box operatingmechanism is conventional. This will now be explained.

The shuttle boxes are controlled by two vibrators in the same manner asthe harness, and short cylinder gears I24a'c and 125a: for Operating oneof the box vibrators are screwed to flanges on the same shafts I25 andI2! upon which the harness cylinder gears I24 and I26 (Fig. 9) are madei'ast.

One vibrator, 130 128:0, item, which is shown under lever 222 in Fig. 3is controlled by an auxiliary box chain I323; as shown at 3! in theAmerican Wool Handbook, 2nd edition, page 672, Fig. 5, which is drivenby a gear 136x fast on the chain shaft I along with the regular harnesschain gear I36, Figs. 9 and 13. The box chain l32.z: moves one bar toeach pick of the loom I V The complete action controlled throughvibrator lever I303: represents a one box li ft, and is used toalternate the two white thread shuttles in the manner explained below. M

With a sinker on chain I321: under vibrator lever [303: the number OllBshuttle s1 is picking position for the outward pick. With another sinkeron the next bar of chain I325: under vibrator lever I30ac for the returnpick thenumber one shuttle will return to its home box; With a rollunder vibrator lever 1303: the number two shuttle 52 is lifted intopicking position for the next outward pick. As shown in Fig. 13 a rollhas come under the lever l30a: and the box is just about to be lifted inpreparation for the outward pick of shuttle '52. With another roll onthe next bar of chain I32x under vibrator lever 130a: for the returnpick the number two shuttle will return to its home box. The chainl32ac-is made to, have a column of rolls and 'sinkers, two bars withrolls, and two bars with sinkers occurring in regular alternation. Fourbars constitute a cutting the blankets apart is necessary. The as 12line is made by a colored thread shuttle in a third shuttle box.

The third shuttle is lifted into picking position as explained below.

The other box vibrator, whose lever is designated l30y, is operated bylever 220 (Fig. 31in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The action of vibratorlever I301; when a roll of column 2M is passed under lever 22crepresents a two box lift. The third shuttle is lifted into pickingposition for the next outward pick after the return pick of the numbertwo shuttle. Thisis accomplished by the cooperation of chain I32zc withthe box and control chain. As a first roll 'on column 2 i l of the boxand control chain starts under the lever 220, a first sinker on chain[32:11 is starting to pass under vibrator lever I301". This producesaction on both vibrator levers I3Ilac and I301; at the same time, withthe vibrator lever i301: giving a one box lowering action simultaneouslywith the vibrator I303; giving a two box lifting action. The thirdshuttle is lifted to picking position and is held in this position forthe outward and return pick by the sinkers on two bars of chain I321;and two rolls in column 2M of the box and control chain. 7

1 or the next outward and return pick, there are sinkers on box andcontrol chain column 2 M and lOilS on the chain I329: to present numbertwo shuttle for the next outward and return pick. At this point theregular shuttle alternating procedure is resumed. I

The shuttle and box control chain has only two rolls in column 2M, whichare on consecutive bars 2 and 3 as described, and pass under the lever220 only at the end and beginning of two consecutive blankets.

The lifting and lowering means for controlling the shuttle box 'is wellunderstood and may be briefly described. Box vibrators IBM: and I30working as explained, move levers 334 and 335. Lever 334 is pivoted atthe lower end and holds box lifter chain 336 at a point on the leverabout midway between the pivot and the vibrator connection. The movementgiven this lever by its vibrator represents a one box lift. Lever 335 ispivoted at the center and at its lower end is "a sheave 33l around whichthe chain 336 passes from lever 334 to the drop box. The motion givenlever 335 by its vibrator 1301 represents a two box lift. 7 I H JBoxlifterchain 336 passes around sheaves 331d, 3312), 3310, 331d and weto an adjustable rod 331] which is 'f 'astene'd to 'a casting 338 "onthe box lifter rod 33 8a. This 'casting'includes a sleeve portion whichhas a sliding fit on the rod 338a and in a rocker 339. A spring 340surrounds rod 338a and holds casting 338 down against 'a collar 34!which is adjustably fixed on the lower e'nd'oi rod 34011. A spring 342assists gravity in pushing the box down. The spring 342 guided by 'a rod343, the upper end or which is pressed upward against the end by springso. The red 3'43 passes downward through an opening in the collar 34].The spring 312 pushes down on the collar y The use (if two shuttlesoperating alternately has some well-known'advan'ta'ges first, theblending and mixing of the filling threads to produce a more even'anduniform a'ppearan'c'e 'inthe 'fabric; second. the shuttle life 'isgreater due to avoidance or the friction heat which "is roduces when oneshuttle is used; and third, the storage capa ity or the magazine for thefilling bobbins is doubled.

embodiments of my invention.

but with the advantages as described above the two shuttle alternatingprocedure is considered preferable.

When work is being performed which calls for selection between threewhite threads the run may be removed from vibrator lever Item, and thelever may be connected through a link I55 with lever 222. Rolls and.sinkers as required may then be provided in column 2 l i; of theshuttle and control chain,

I have described what I believe to he the best I do not wish, however,to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover byLetters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1 I claim:

1. In a loom, the combination with control mechanism for one set ofharnesses including vibrator levers therefor, and a unidirectionalharness chain engageable with the vibrator levers from below, a controlmechanism for a special set of harnesses including vibrator leverstherefor, operating levers above the vibrator levers for the specialharnesses and connected from overhead therewith, special harness chainsengageable with said operating levers, mechanism for driving the specialharness chains in either forward or reverse direction, and means forautomatically determining the direction of drive of the special harnesschains at every pick of the loom.

2. In a loom, the combination with control mechanism for one set ofharnesses including vibrator levers therefor, and a unidirectionalharness chain engageable with the vibrator levers from below, a controlmechanism for a special set of harnesses including vibrator leverstherefor, operating levers above the vibrator levers for the specialharnesses and connected from overhead therewith, special harness chainsengageable with said operating levers-mechanism for driving the specialharness chains in either forward or reverse direction, and means forautomatically de- -termining the direction of drive of the specialharness chains at every pick of the loom, a shuttle box vibrator forselecting between two shuttle boxes, a shuttle box chain columnconnected for operation in unison with the special harness chain inforward and reverse directions, and means for selecting the shuttle tobe active at alternate pairs of picks.

3. In a loom, in combination, harness control mechanism including aharness chain, a drive gear for said chain, a chain having a shuttle boxcontrol column, a gear for driving the latter chain, said gears havinginterfitting parts to cause said chains to turn in unison but to bereadily severable from one another, and multiplying means for driving atleast one of said gears in forward and reverse directions.

4. In a loom, in combination, harness control mechanism comprising aharness chain, shuttle box control mechanism comprising a chain having ashuttle box column of rolls and sinkers', and a vibrator controlledthereby, means for driving said chains in unison in forward and reversedirections, setting a step for every pick, a second shuttle box chainhaving a column of rolls and sinkers, means for driving said secondshuttle box chain unidirectionally, a, step for every pick, and avibrator controlled by said second chain, said .shuttle box controlmechanism including box .the first outward ick, means for causing allbut the second harness to be raised during the first return pick, meansfor causing all but the third harness to be raised during the secondoutward pick, and means for causing only the fourth harness to be raisedduring the second return pick, whereby one filler thread is caused todefine a flattened right hand spiral and the other a flattened left handspiral, with the spirals crossing one another as they pass from layer tolayer at one side of the tubular structure and connecting the layers toone another at that side.

6. In a loom for weaving a tubular structure, in combination, a pair ofshuttles, means for causing the shuttles to execute pairs of consecutivepicks in alternation, a set of harnesses dividin part of the warpthreads at least into four groups, and control mechanism for saidharnesses, causing the first shuttle at its first or outward pick topass above all but the first group of the warp threads and at its secondor return pick to pass above only the second group of the warp threads,and causing the second shuttle at its first or outward pick to passabove only the third group of the warp threads and at its second orreturn pick to pass above all but the fourth group of the warp threads,whereby one filler thread is caused to define a flattened right handspiral and the other a flattened left hand spiral, with the spiralscrossing one another as they pass from layer to layer at one side of thetubular structure and connecting the layers to one another at that side,a second set of harnesses dividing other warp threads into additionalgroups, control mechanism therefor comprising a reversible chain andreversing means therefor, the chain being constructed and arranged attimes to confine certain of the latter warp threads to the upper layerand others to the lower layer, and at other times to cause the latterwarp threads to pass back and forth between the layers for binding thelayers to one another in selected zones.

7. In a loom for weaving a tubular blanket shell, in combination, a setof at least four regular harnesses carrying warp threads, a harnesschain controlling said harnesses and having a uniformly repetitivepattern which confines certain of the warp threads to the upper layer ofthe shell and the other warp threads to the lower layer of the shell,means for advancing the chain uniformly, one step at each pick, a set ofspecial harnesses carrying binder warp threads, a reversible binderharness chain for causing the binder threads to be confined in certainsections to the respective shell layers and in other sections to passback and forth from layer to layer, a control chain, a reversing chain,and means causing the control and reversing chains to interact upon oneanother and jointly to determine the direction of operation of thereversible harness chain at all times.

8. In a loom for weaving a tubular blanket shell, in combination, a setof at least four regular harnesses carrying warp threads, a harao'zaeeachain controlling said harnesses: and having as uniformlyrepetitivepattern which confines certain of the warp threads to the upper; layerof the shell and the. other warp threads to the lower layer of theshell, means; for advancing: the chain uniformly, one stepat-eachpiek,a. set: of special harnesses carrying binder warp threads, areversiblebinder harnesschain for causingthe binder: threads-to bei confined in"certain .sections to the-respective shelllayers and mother. sections topass. back and forth fromlayer to layer, a controlchain, a-reversingchain, the. control and reversing, chains interacting: uponone anotherand jointly acting to cause the binder harness chain'to he run forwardand backward through certain of its sections until. an odd number. oftraverses of a section has-beenefiected; and then to pass on to a-succeeding sectioni- 9-; In a- 1oomfor weaving a tubular blanket shell;in combination, a set' otat least four regula-r harnesses carrying. warpthreads,= a I harness chain controlling said harnesses andhaving auniformly repetitive pattern which confines certainof thewarp threads tothe upper layer of the-shell and the other warp threads to the 5lower==la-yer of the shell,means for. advancing: the chain uniformly,one step at each pick, a set ofspecial harnesses carrying binder warpthreads; a reversible binder harness chain for causing the binderthreads to be confined: in certain sectionsto the respective shelllayersand in othersections to pass back and forth from layer to layer; acontrol chain, means connecting the-control chain town in unison withthe binder harness chain, means for driving the at every pick; andincluding aunidirectionally' driven reversing chain, means for drivingthe reversingchain forwardstep by step at selected picks;and-means-responsive to the control chain for" determiningat every pickwhether the reversing chain shall-be advanced-or shall remairr 4 idle.

rosin a loom for weaving a tubular blanket shell with the layers boundtogether in' certain longitudinal zones, the combination with a set ofat least four regular harnesses carrying warp threads which, withdefinite exceptions; are disposed in regularly repeating, orderlaterally of the loom, control mechanism for saidregular harnessesimposing. a uniformly repetitive control pattern such that the threadsof one-half the regular harnesses are confined to the upper blanketshell layer and the threads or the: other half" of the regular harnessesare confined to the lower blanket shell layergsaid control mechanismincluding a. control chain and means for automatically advancing. thecontrol chain: a step at each pick, a set of binding. harnessescarrying. binding, warp threads, in certain longitudinally extendingzones, each as a substitute for one of the excepted regular harnessthreads, special harness control mechanism for causing. the binderharnesses in certain: sections of: limited length to duplicate theaction of the respective regular harnesses. for. which they aresubstitutes and for varying the action of said binder harne'sses inother sections to cause the binder threads to. pass back and forth: fromlayer to layer for binding the layers together, said control. mechanismincluding. control and binder harness. chains comprising rolls andsinkers, means. connecting. said control and binder harness. chains foroperation. in unison, means for driving said: control. and binderharnesss chains forward and backward, a step at each. pick,. a reversingchain, means for driving. thereversing chain unidirectionally but onlyat selected picks, means responsive to. the control chain fordetermining the picks at which the reversing chain will be advancedandmeanslresponsiveto the reversing chain for determining at each pickwhether the control andibinder harness chains will be operated forwardor backward.

GRAYDON ROBINSGN.

References Cited in the. file of this: patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 469,210 Hollingsworth Feb. 16, 1892 490,890 Wattle Jan.3 1, 1893 620,861 Wattie Mar. 7,1899

1,073,635 Ryon Sept. 23', 1-913 1,852,083 Jennings d Apr. 5, 1932

